Neoplasias are benign or malignant. Cancers are a group of maligantant neoplasias. Cancers are characterized by the presence of cells that display uncontrolled growth, invasion, and sometimes metastasis. Benign neoplasias, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize.
Oncogenes are mutated forms of certain normal cellular genes (“proto-oncogenes”). In certain instances, oncogenes encode abnormal versions of signal pathway components, (e.g., receptor tyrosine kinases, serine-threonine kinases, or downstream signaling molecules.